Drum Hill house fire caused by oily rags

Fire officials investigating the cause of a fire Feb. 22 that struck an unoccupied house under construction at 165 Drum Hill Road determined the fire was not set, and began with a self-combusting pile of linseed oil-soaked rags..

The renovation work on the 1700s period historic home was being done illegally, with no permits from the building department, said Fire Chief Ronald Kanterman.

The chief briefed the Board of Selectmen on the fire update during a meeting Feb. 27 at town hall, at the request of First Selectman Lynne Vanderslice.

The call came in at approximately 10:30 a.m., and response came from Ridgefield, Westport, New Canaan, Weston, Norwalk, and Vista, N.Y., as well as Wilton.

The firefighters did a great job holding the fire back and preventing it from reaching the attic above the second floor, Kanterman said.